Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1887-01-14
Annual i.tport of the Mayor.

/ IT, he H,noro5h council Of the city OF
0iH"Pio:
~IE@: The charter makes it nv
duty {" make general report OF the
affairs ri the city for the year Just
( passed. anl Ike such su; gestions as
! | think best for the interest of the
! city. The financial standing OF the
city, in general irm>, is is follows:
nutstandimg warrants Jan. /, lss,j ....S 800 ~
W arrahts l,sLed during the year 1856. l363O 10
S2l,l4O II
| Amt. reed from license ;, etc : ) O63 ~
| Amt. reed from taxes ..--...- IO.4f5 rs
-Sl55U9 81
Balance $500 SIS
Allowing interest to be .......... loo 90
Total indebtedness of city. $50 IS
would like to recommend that be-
fore the Council proceed to elect Off
GERS for the ensuing year they draft
new ordinances regulating their duties
and try To condcnsc the offices so that
the salary account will be reduced, as
| consider it much too large for city
of this size. The salary account for
the past year is over four thousand
dollars, which amounts to levy of
four mills on the dollar on the taxable
property of the city.
The Fire Department Of our city |
consider as GOOD as can he found in
any city of its size, but | would like to
make Il few suggestions concerning it.
One is that the city purchase a har-
ness, such as is used in other cities, and
make arrangements with owners of
horses convenient to have them in
case OF fire, especially at this season of
the year. Another is that arrange
ments be made to purchase coal in
quantities at wholesale prices, the city
being SO large Il consumer. ! would
also like to see Barnes Hook and Lad
der Company provided with new
truck, but il this cannot he done, ar
engagements might he made with the
company to distribute the apparatus
in different part OF the city, as in Vic
toria, and protect it with very strict
ordinances. Another necessity is a
new fire alarm bell. But as the fire
companies are acting upon that, it
would he we'll to await the result of
their efforts.
The great necessity for the prosper
ity of the city is Il channel to deep wa
ter, so that steamers can come and go
at any stage of the tide. The Council
realizing this, have made levy of q
special tax to accomplish this object.
The taxpayers have responded as read
lily as could he expected, as in all new
communities the demands for public
works grow faster than i'll older COM
munitics, and the resources being
much smaller the result is heavy tax
levy on Il people who are lily able to
bear the burden. But we have lived
here for thirty years and received no
Government aid, and other cities more
favorably situated for water commune
cation becoming very prosperous, it
becomes necessary for us, if We wish
to keep pace with them, to do the
work which the Government should
do for us. The Council have made an
effort To accomplish this object, but
for reasons over which they had no
control, it has not been accomplished
but consider this to he the very first
duty of the incoming Council to see
that the work is accomplished, even at
the expense of using some of the gen
eral tax to complete the work.
The city for the past year has been
generally prosperous, but not so much
SO rs other cities of the West with less
natural advantages than we possess
But hope to see new life and energy
put forth now as there appears to be
wave OF prosperity extending over
Northwest, and if We hope to be benc-
fitted by it we must make an effort
ourselves. us only those are helped
who help themselves.
Respectfully,
\. Ill. CHAMBERS,